Seven Sleepless Nights
by WeasleyForMe
Summary: With swirling thoughts and a hectic schedule, Hermione finds herself unable to sleep. When George shares his secret with her and keeps her company, she finds another, sweeter reason to stay up late. Hermione/George
1. Chapter 1

_Seven Sleepless Nights by WeasleyForMe_

_With swirling thoughts and a hectic schedule, Hermione finds herself unable to sleep. When George shares his secret with her and keeps her company, she finds another, sweeter reason to stay up late._

_Thanks to Clover Bay for beta reading!_

_

* * *

Sunday Night_

It was difficult to determine the precise reason, but Hermione had been unable to sleep for a full night in weeks. She equated it to stress. There were too many things going on around Hogwarts this year, and very few of them were pleasant. Everything had been going well enough with Dumbledore's Army, but of course that only really served as a reminder that they were on the brink of war. And, not only did she have to worry about studying for OWLs, she also had to watch her every step around the castle with Professor Umbridge on the prowl.

As she turned over in her four poster bed in the Gryffindor dormitory, Hermione rubbed the back of her hand which had been torn apart during detention the previous week. Professor Umbridge had made her write "_I will not speak out_" until her eyes were brimmed with unshed tears and her teeth were chattering in pain. All the while, the customized quill sliced gashes deep into her flesh. Harry had been right about the pain; she still felt tinges of soreness, even after a week of soaking in Essence of Murlap.

Sleep would not be coming readily, and suddenly the column of moonlight streaking in through the window forced her the rest of the way awake. Hermione sat up in her bed, letting her feet hit the cold floor next to her slippers. She quickly stuffed her toes into the fuzzy warmth while she stood and pulled her light blue robe over her matching shirt and pyjama pants.

As she grabbed her Transfiguration text from her night stand, she turned to see that Lavender's bed was empty. Undoubtedly she was off snogging Ron, and Hermione hated the thought of it. She was over him, there was no doubt in her mind, but she loathed the way they had to flaunt it in front of her face. He had, in many ways, chosen Lavender over her, and their friendship was suffering.

With a quick pause, Hermione reached under her pillow for her wand. If Ron and Lavender were snogging in the Common Room, she would at least have the proper means with witch to hex them. With a small smile she headed down the stairs into a completely empty Common Room and took a seat on a large crimson loveseat and started to read.

She had read two full chapters before the clock on the mantle chimed one o'clock in the morning on Monday, startling her from the pages. She set down the book and stretched her arms just as she heard footsteps coming from the stairs that led from the boys' dormitory. As soon as she saw a flash of red hair, she drew her wand, but she was relieved to see that it was George instead of Ron who emerged.

"Hey, Hermione," George said carefully. He had come to a complete halt when he saw that she had pulled her wand on him.

With a small chuckle, Hermione tucked her wand back into her robe pocket. "Hi, George."

Nervously, without moving fully into the Common Room, George asked, "What are you doing up so late?"

Hermione smiled at him. "Well I'm tired, but I can't seem to sleep."

"I know what you mean. There's just too much going on this year for me to get my brain wrapped around everything." George shifted uncomfortably where he stood. He didn't like the idea of anyone catching on to what he had been doing for the past few weeks.

Raising an eyebrow, Hermione asked, "What are you hiding behind your back?"

George swallowed guiltily. "Nothing." It was just his luck to stumble upon a Prefect in the middle of the night.

"What is it? I swear I'm not going to turn you in for anything," she promised. "Especially if you're doing something that will irritate Umbridge."

Grinning, George pulled a broom out from behind his back and held up his other hand. "You promised, Granger!"

Hermione returned his smile and stood to check out the broom. "That's not even your broom."

"How did you know that?"

"This is a Nimbus, and you have a Cleansweep," she answered, still examining the broomstick.

George looked quite surprised that Hermione knew which type of racing broom he owned. "Right you are. But how did you know?"

Hermione crossed her arms and huffed. "I pay a bit more attention to Quidditch than most people think I do." When she noticed George's eyes go wide, she realized that by crossing her arms, she had managed to pull her thin night shirt a little lower and taut across her chest. Blushing, she wrapped her robe around herself and tied it in place. When she managed to meet his eyes again, she was somewhat relieved to see him blushing as well, having seen a bit more of her than any other boy at Hogwarts.

George cleared his throat three times before saying, "I just never took you for a big Quidditch fan. And well, now, that's all I'm allowed to be. A fan."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about the Quidditch ban," Hermione told him sincerely. "Does Umbridge still have your broom?" she asked, turning back to the loveseat and curling up in one corner.

She watched as George pouted, and she realized it was kind of cute. He set the broom on the floor and followed suit, taking a seat at the end opposite Hermione. "Yes, that bloody awful woman still has my broom chained up along with Fred's and Harry's. Can you imagine? She actually put a nail through Harry's Firebolt and chained it to her wall!"

Hermione chewed her lower lip, hoping to change the subject. She knew how much the boys missed playing Quidditch. "Well whose broom is that, and why do you have it?" she questioned, gesturing to the Nimbus on the Common Room floor.

George raked his hand through his already messy hair; nobody knew about his secret, other than Fred. He wasn't sure why exactly, but he felt like it wouldn't be bad to share it with Hermione. "It's Ginny's broom. I've been sneaking out at night, taking a few laps around the Quidditch pitch and then heading back to the dorms to sleep."

Hermione cocked her head, slightly confused. She obviously still didn't quite grasp George's need to borrow a broom and sneak around well into the night.

George sighed and scooted a little closer to her. "Close your eyes and imagine this," he told her, and she obeyed. "You are in the library one day, and you're just having a bloody awful day. Well, suddenly, Malfoy comes at you out of nowhere, and he does something to really make you angry. Like perhaps he steals your homework and threatens to burn it up so you have to re-do all of your hard work. So, you retaliate, just like any Gryffindor would, and you send a nasty little hex his way. But, what you didn't know was that Umbridge saw you do it, and she in turn takes away all of your library privileges."

Hermione's eyes snapped open, and she was face to face with a very serious looking George. "I get it. She took away the one thing that gives you the most enjoyment, the thing that allows you to express yourself and makes you happy without fail."

With a nod, George settled back into the cushions once more, satisfied that Hermione understood why he needed to borrow Ginny's Nimbus.

"I'm really sorry, George… Hey wait a moment, are you making fun of me for enjoying the library?" Hermione asked, eyes narrowed.

George burst into sudden laughter, causing Hermione to smile a little. "Only if you're making fun of me for enjoying flying."

"Never," she whispered with a grin.

"Then you just keep enjoying your books." George stood and winked. "Say, why don't you come with me? We can do some laps around the castle."

"Me? Fly with you?" she asked, fully perplexed.

"Yeah, come on. Grab a coat," he told her as he bent down to pick up the broom.

Hermione giggled and shook her head. "I don't really do flying, but perhaps another night? Let me sleep on it."

George pretended to pout. "Well if you're still up this late, you probably won't sleep on it at all!"

"Just go enjoy your flight, George," she told him, biting her lower lip. "And your secret is safe with me."

"Good night, Hermione," George whispered just loudly enough for her to hear as he disappeared through the portrait hole.

Before returning to her Transfiguration text, Hermione stared dreamily out of one of the tall windows, trying to catch a glimpse of someone flying past.

* * *

_Well I had been wanting to start this story for awhile, and I hope you all enjoy it. If you have any thoughts or ideas for the upcoming six chapters, let me know! I'd love to hear from you!_

_Also, I sort of pushed Ron and Lavender together a year early... just to make more friction and whatnot. I hope you can deal with that :\_

_Thanks for reading and please review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Seven Sleepless Nights by WeasleyForMe_

_With swirling thoughts and a hectic schedule, Hermione finds herself unable to sleep. When George shares his secret with her and keeps her company, she finds another, sweeter reason to stay up late._

_Thanks to seven time award winning beta, Cover Bay, for beta reading for me! :)  
_

_

* * *

__Monday Night_

After a full day of classes, and very little sleep, Hermione's current mood wasn't something to be toyed with. It was getting quite late, and she was slightly annoyed by the lack of enthusiasm being currently displayed by her fellow Dumbledore's Army members. So, when Ron goaded her on during their meeting, everyone around them held their breath, awaiting her response.

"Come on Hermione, you can try to hit me with a stunning curse. I'll go easy one you since you're a girl."

"Excuse me, Ronald?" she asked, obviously seething. "I could duel you in my sleep, and you know it!" The Patil twins backed away, and Fred and George tried not to smile too brightly. Ron was in for the curse of the century.

"But Hermione, everyone knows that you're just slower with your wand work than I am," Ron responded casually.

Harry stepped in between them before Hermione could do anything drastic. "Now calm down, both of you. You will duel properly, for Merlin's sake."

Ron and Hermione backed slowly apart, to opposite corners of the Room of Requirement. As Hermione dropped her wand to her side, ready to strike, she caught George's eye, and he gave her a huge grin and a thumbs up. With a smirk, Hermione waited for Ron to make the first movement. Before he could fully raise his wand, she had shouted out the incantation, and he was lying on his back, completely stunned and unable to move.

Fred and George burst out into a chorus of "Granger is our Queen!" while Neville stared wide eyed at Hermione's wand.

As Hermione picked an imaginary piece of lint off of her sweater, she tried to contain her smirk. "Did I do it right?" she asked innocently.

"Yeah… you did it right," Harry confirmed, hiding his smile behind his sleeve as he went to help Ron stand up. "Everyone is dismissed," he announced to the room. "Same time next week."

While Ginny cornered Fred in conversation, George jogged after a very self-satisfied looking Hermione as she left the Room of Requirement. "Hey, Hermione, that was brilliant! Think you can hex him again at breakfast? You know, so the rest of us can get enough to eat?" he asked, falling into stride along side the younger witch as they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower.

She shook her and looked up at him. "I thought you would take his side. He is your brother after all," she told George. "And I do feel a little bad about how hard I stunned him."

"Nah, he's a git, and he shouldn't have been talking to you that way."

Hermione felt the back of her neck grow warm as his words washed over her. "Thanks," she muttered. Ever since they had spoken late the previous night, George had been on her mind, and she didn't know why.

"Wait!" George suddenly whispered, resting his hand on her shoulder to stop her. "I hear Mrs. Norris!"

Hermione froze, hearing the faint sounds of Filch's cat meowing and prowling the hallway. "Where should we go?!" she asked frantically. It was nearly curfew, and they weren't yet close to their common room.

George took her by the hand and pulled her with him behind a wall-length tapestry depicting the Goblin War of 1414. "We should be safe back here," he whispered as he pushed her into a tiny alcove behind the tapestry which was lit by a single, dim torch. "One of my favourite hiding places," he told Hermione as she pressed her back against the stone wall, trying to make more room for him.

As she stood there, smashed against the stones, she was both pleased and terrified to find that she could afford them no extra space; George's body was just inches from hers, and she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. "Sorry, it's a bit cramped. I'm used to hiding here alone," he whispered, smiling down at her. "I was actually stuck here last night on my way out with Ginny's broom, because Snape was lurking around."

"It's ok!" she squeaked, sounding like a Firstie, afraid to talk to boys. She nervously cleared her throat and tried not to look at George's lips which were attached to his handsome face which was perched atop his rather fit looking body which was now chest to chest with her own.

"So, is this one of your wildest fantasies, Granger?" George asked amusedly, sensing her discomfort and taking advantage of it.

"What?!" she gasped, trying to keep her voice quiet. "Of course not, George!" All of her efforts were for naught as her eyes drifted to his lips which had formed an adorable smirk.

"I don't believe you."

Hermione snorted, realizing how much he enjoyed making her uncomfortable. "Well, I suppose it could be worse. You could be Terry Boot."

"What's wrong with Terry Boot?" George asked, suddenly quite confused.

"Well, nothing, if you enjoy being winked at during all of your classes," she told him, shuddering as she recalled aloud the way Terry had started winking and passing her notes during History of Magic.

George knew how that felt. Millicent Bulstrode used to smile at him and bat her eyelashes, a look which she surely thought was appealing to George. On the contrary, it made him feel like he'd eaten a slug.

But, Hermione wasn't like that at all. The witch pressed up against him wasn't exactly pretty in the conventional manner, but George had certainly taken note that Hermione was growing up to be rather attractive in her own way. He tried to hide his brilliant smile as he told her, "Wouldn't be too bad, if you were the one doing the winking, and I was the bloke you were winking at."

Hermione felt the familiar heat spreading across the back of her neck once more. Not knowing what else to say, she asked, "Do you think Mrs. Norris has gone yet?"

Sighing, George placed his hands against the stone wall on either side of her face, and leaned a little closer before he pushed himself away from her. He watched as her eyes went wide before fluttering closed. "Let's have a look, shall we?" he asked, tearing himself away from her as he peeked around the tapestry. "Coast is clear."

They wound their way quietly though the corridors until they reached the Fat Lady, hoping to avoid Mrs. Norris and Filch. "So, how much do you want to bet that Ron won't be talking to me for the rest of the week?" Hermione asked cheerfully as she and George ducked through the portrait hole.

"You certainly sound happy about the prospect," George laughed, seeing his baby brother in the corner of the room with Lavender Brown fussing over him. Hermione stiffened a bit by his side as she too saw Ron lean in and kiss Lavender's cheek. George pulled Hermione away from them and asked, "So, did you sleep on it?"

"Sleep on what?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, temporarily distracted from Ron and Lav Lav.

"The broom ride that you said you'd take with me," he replied with a wink.

Hermione didn't find it at all irritating like Terry's winks. She bit her lower lip. "Maybe I need another night to sleep on it."

"Suit yourself, but I'm going to go grab Ginny's broom and hopefully avoid ol' Filchy."

Hermione laughed. "Good luck with that," she told him and turned to go grab her school books from her dorm, delighted to find that Ron had vacated the room.

* * *

When George returned from his late night flight, the clock in the common room struck three in the morning. Hermione had fallen asleep on the crimson loveseat with her Charms text open across her body and a quill in her hand. Smiling, George gently closed the book and set it on the floor with the quill, but she still didn't look quite right.

Quickly, he dashed up to his own dorm and grabbed his extra pillow and quilt before hurrying back to the common room. He gently covered Hermione his blanket and tucked the pillow under her curls, hoping she would sleep more comfortably.

"Good night, pretty Prefect," he whispered as he turned to leave, and a small smile found its way onto Hermione's lips.

* * *

_Isn't George sweet? _

_As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas, so please leave a review! Thanks for reading! _


	3. Chapter 3

_Seven Sleepless Nights by WeasleyForMe_

_With swirling thoughts and a hectic schedule, Hermione finds herself unable to sleep. When George shares his secret with her and keeps her company, she finds another, sweeter reason to stay up late._

_Thanks to Clover Bay for allowing me to utilize her amazing beta skills!  
_

_

* * *

__Tuesday Night_

Ever since she had woken in the Common Room on Tuesday morning, Hermione couldn't seem to keep a smile from her face. She had been on the crimson loveseat, wrapped in a strange blanket, lying on someone else's pillow when the chime of the clock on the mantel woke her. As she wriggled herself out of the green and blue plaid quilt, she saw the initials _GW_ embroidered into the corner in orange yarn, and she snuggled back into George's blanket until it was time to get ready for breakfast.

But, she had yet to see George all day. He hadn't been at breakfast, and Hermione had to skip lunch to finish a Charms essay. Now she was sitting at dinner, anxiously looking for George while she picked at her plate of roast chicken. It wasn't like a Weasley twin to miss a meal. Now, aside from wanting to thank him and return his quilt, she was a little worried as to what could keep him enjoying from a delicious Hogwarts meal.

She leaned slightly across the table, trying to get Fred's attention away from Angelina. "Hey Fred," she finally called. "Where's George?"

Fred shrugged and buttered a large dinner roll. "Haven't seen him since Potions this afternoon. I'm sure he'll show up eventually. He doesn't do well without food. But why are you so interested, Granger?" he asked, popping the roll into his mouth with a smirk.

Hermione just narrowed her eyes at him and settled back in her seat before taking a bite of chicken. She wasn't _that_ interested in George. Was she? If she were being honest with herself, she would admit that he had managed to take up a good amount of her thoughts for the past few days. Blushing, she let her fork clatter against her plate, and she left the Great Hall.

It couldn't be a crush or infatuation; she and George had rarely spoken before Sunday evening, except for the occasional detention that she was forced to assign to the twins. Forcing the thought from her mind completely, she stopped in the library.

"Good evening, Miss Granger," the librarian whispered as her favourite student approached her desk.

"Good evening, Madam Pince," she whispered back with a smile. "I just need to return this." She set _Purely Potent Potions_ on the edge of the desk. The book had really saved her a lot of pain after her detention, because she had referenced it to help her make Essence of Murlap to heal the Umbridge inflicted cuts. Shuddering slightly, she bid Madam Pince farewell and returned to the Gryffindor Common Room.

As was usual for every other night, Hermione worked and worked as the crowd around her quieted and dwindled until she was the only one left seated by the fireplace. The only difference was the complete lack of George. She was certain that he would surface, broom in hand, ready to sneak out of the castle, and she couldn't help but look up every time she heard a floorboard creak.

As the clock struck midnight and she closed her Potions book in favor of Transfiguration, George ducked in through the portrait hole. When she saw him, her heart jumped. "George!" she called happily to him.

Frowning, he met her eyes and paused on his way to his dorm room. "Oh, hey Hermione."

Her heart sank as she watched his mirthless face. He wasn't even remotely happy to see her. "Everything all right?" she asked, the smile completely gone from her face.

"Ah, no, actually. I think I'm just going to head to bed." He held his left hand delicately against his sweater vest, avoiding further eye contact. When his school bag slid from his shoulder, forcing him to catch it, he winced and dropped the bag.

Hermione jumped up to help him retrieve his things, and she froze as she saw his hand. "You had a detention with Umbridge, didn't you?" she asked pointedly.

George cleared his throat awkwardly and tucked his hand behind his back. "What are you talking about?" he asked, neglecting to meet her eyes.

Hermione sighed. "I'm talking about the cuts all over the back of your hand which you are now hiding from me." As George's eyes snapped up to meet her own, she realized her tone had been a little harsh. "I had a detention with her last week," she told him gently, holding up her hand for him to inspect.

George ran his right fingers along the back of her hand, softly rubbing the raised, red lines that matched Hermione's handwriting. "Why is she doing this to us?" he whispered. Their gazes met, and wordlessly, they both felt the understanding they had inadvertently stumbled upon with each other.

"I don't know. It's wrong, and it's cruel," she hissed, forcing back tears as George held his own hand up for her to examine. "George! These gashes are so deep!"

He nodded and let out a puff of breath as she poked his skin a little too hard.

"Go sit on the loveseat, and I'll help you get rid of the pain," she instructed, picking up his school books and setting them on the long table.

George didn't move. "Why are you helping me, Hermione? I got the detention for testing a Skiving Snackbox product on a first year from Hufflepuff."

Hermione's hands flew to her hips. "You know better than to do that! And, I'm helping you, because Umbridge is a heartless, malicious beast! Now sit!" she exclaimed, marching off to her dorm room.

Afraid to be doing anything other than sitting on the loveseat upon her return, George sat, examining his hand. He had written _My inventions are rubbish_ for three hours while Umbridge drank tea from a pink tea service and rearranged her collection of kitten plates. He was furious and in so much pain, but at least he had been able to spare Fred. But now that he knew just exactly what went on in her detentions, he was afraid to tell his twin about it. Fred would somehow manage to blame himself.

"You might as well get comfortable," Hermione announced when she reemerged from the girls' rooms. "This is going to take a little while."

She set a number of potions ingredients and a large bowl on the small table next to the loveseat. She had also changed from her school uniform into her pyjamas and robe. "Anything you say, Miss Prefect," he replied as she started to combine some horrid smelling liquids in the bowl. He pulled his sweater vest over his white dress shirt and loosed his tie until he was able to discard it as well. When he started to unbutton his shirt, however, Hermione's focus went completely out the window.

"What are you doing?!" she hissed, nearly dropping the murlap.

"Getting comfortable," he replied, pulling his shirt off and tossing it onto the floor. "Just like you said." He settled into the cushions with a wink, wearing his school slacks and his undershirt.

"Oh, ok," she responded after a moment of staring at the way his chest and shoulders pulled the fabric of his shirt taut. "Um, what happened in your detention?" she asked quickly, trying to change the subject. When he merely raised an eyebrow, she added, "I just want to know if it was anything like the excruciating hours I had to serve."

George nodded as he told the tale of his detention. He didn't spare the details of the amount of blood that had pooled on the desk, realizing that Hermione had been in the same situation. "She has no right to be in our school."

"I agree completely, George. Now give me your hand," she told him, having finished preparing the Essence of Murlap. George placed his rough hand in her tiny one, trusting her to help him rather than make it worse.

"Sweet bloody Merlin!" he gasped as she immersed his hand in the bowl of steamy liquid.

"Sorry! The burning won't last more than a few minutes!" she promised, making sure his torn flesh stayed covered in the green solution.

George bit his lip, willing the pain away, and after a few minutes he was able to talk normally again. "Who helped you after your detention?" he whispered after taking a few deep breaths.

"Nobody," she replied.

George stared at her, amazed at her confession. "You learned how to treat the wound yourself?" After she nodded sheepishly, he winked and added, "Who would have guessed that Hermione Granger had more going for her than her looks! Smarty pants."

Hermione glared at him, blushing deeply as she stood, leaving his hand to soak. "Don't move."

George opened his mouth to call her back, hoping he hadn't embarrassed her too much, but she had already disappeared again. He wasn't kidding too much; he really did think she was cute, and she was obviously the best student in the school. He sighed and waited for her to return, which didn't take too long. She set down a tray containing first aid materials and a glass of water.

"Take this," she told him, handing him a while pill and the glass of water. "It's a muggle pain killer."

He did as he was instructed, and she settled down beside him on the seat. "So I'm guessing I won't be able to go flying tonight?" he asked sadly.

Hermione snorted. "Not unless you want those nasty cuts to open up again, and then I would be forced to make more Essence of Murlap and help you heal them again."

The prospect didn't actually sound too bad to him, as he would be able to spend more time with her. Then again, he didn't relish the burning sensation that went along with the potion. "You make a good point. I'll behave myself…for now."

"You couldn't if you tried."

"You know me too well." They shared a smirk and settled into a comfortable silence, listening to the fire crackling. Lost in deep thought, George lost track of time until the clock chimed two in the morning.

"I think you've soaked for long enough," Hermione told him. She stood and gently dried his hand, and he was pleased to find that most of the pain had subsided.

George marveled at the skill with which she covered his hand in a gooey aloe gel and wrapped it in gauze. "Have you ever thought about becoming a Healer?"

Hermione grinned at him as she pinned his bandage in place. "Actually yes, I have considered it."

"You ought to. I like your bedside manner," George told her with a large grin.

Hermione giggled and pulled him to his feet. "You should get to bed. And take the aloe with you."

"Yeah, probably. But all kidding aside, thanks for your help, it really means a lot to me," he told her sincerely.

As he turned to pick up his bag, Hermione promised him that she didn't mind helping him in the least. "Oh, and before you go, thank you for the use of your quilt and pillow," she said, reaching behind the loveseat to retrieve them.

George slung his bag over his shoulder and shook his head. "Why don't you hold onto them for now? You'll have something to keep you warm while you stay up entirely too late doing your school assignments."

Hermione hugged his blanket and pillow to her chest and nodded. "Thanks George."

As he took the stairs to his room, Hermione sat down once more to finish reading chapter sixteen in her Transfiguration text. Once her eyes started to close, she snuggled up with the plaid quilt and fell asleep.

* * *

_Once again, thank you so much for reading! As always I'm interested to hear from you, so if you have any thoughts or ideas for upcoming chapters. let me know!_ :)


	4. Chapter 4

_Seven Sleepless Nights by WeasleyForMe_

_With swirling thoughts and a hectic schedule, Hermione finds herself unable to sleep. When George shares his secret with her and keeps her company, she finds another, sweeter reason to stay up late._

_Thanks to Clover Bay for beta reading and offering wonderful ideas and support!_

_

* * *

_After dinner, George was perched on the edge of his bed, turning redder by the minute. He had managed to hide his swollen, bruised hand from his twin for the entire day, but hiding his reddened ears was just going to be impossible.

"All I know is that every time I have mentioned Hermione to you today, your face turned pink," Fred told him, from his spot at the other end of the seventh year boys' dormitory. "See, I said her name again, and now even your nose is red! What's going on? And why did you sit directly across from her at dinner, staring at her whenever she wasn't looking?"

"I wasn't staring!" George insisted.

"Honestly," Lee Jordan piped in, "there's no use hiding it from us. The way you couldn't take your eyes off of her was like something from a sappy muggle film."

"If you're shacking up with Granger, we're going to find out," Fred promised lightly.

"Shacking up?!" George hollered, jumping to his feet. "Absolutely not! I haven't even gotten a chance to kiss her yet! I can't believe the two of you would think that she and I were, were… just no! And probably never, because she doesn't even know how much I like her!" George was glaring from Fred to Lee with his fists clenched at his sides, unappreciative of their innuendo.

Fred smiled back smugly. Turning to Lee he said, "I rest my case."

"What case?" George demanded hotly.

"We knew you liked her, we just needed to get the information out of you," Lee explained casually. "Ever since she kept asking about you yesterday, and since you've been talking to her in the corridors we knew something was going on."

"I mean, obviously you haven't tried shacking up with her; she'd hex your bits off, mate," Fred told his twin merrily as he looped his elbow around George's neck. "Now how about a game of Exploding Snap?"

George relaxed slightly against his twin. Often times Fred was exceptionally good at infuriating him, especially with Lee in tow, but he could never be too angry with his other half.

"Yeah, I could play a few rounds," George agreed, finally unclenching his fists. "We need four people, though."

"Ron?" Lee asked.

"No, he's got detention with Snape," Fred answered. "Georgie Pie, why don't you go see if Ginny or anyone is around in the common room, while we set up the game?"

George grunted his response and left to find a fourth player. Upon arriving in the common room, he was somewhat pleased to find that Hermione was the only one around. "Hey, Hermione. What are you working on?" he asked, sitting down with her on the loveseat.

"Charms," she replied with a bright smile which made his insides tingle. "You're going out to fly already? It's so early."

George was slightly flattered that Hermione seemed to know his flying schedule. He attempted to scoot a little closer to her, but was sure it didn't go unnoticed. "Uh, yeah, it's too early for that yet."

Hermione also inched herself along the loveseat toward George. "How's your hand?"

"Sore," he told her, holding it up for examination. She took his hand in her own and traced her fingers along the raised scars left behind from the previous day.

"I never asked you what she made you write," Hermione mused aloud.

"_My inventions are rubbish_," George recited without feeling.

"What?!" Hermione gasped, immediately dropping his hand as her eyes snapped up to meet his. "That's not true! Your inventions are brilliant! Well, when they aren't used to terrorize other students, that is."

George couldn't help but grin smugly. "So what you're saying is, you think I'm brilliant?"

Hermione blushed and scooted further away from George. "Yes, I suppose I would say that. Now, why exactly are you here, hanging around the common room so early?" she asked quickly, clearly embarrassed.

Still grinning, George stood and took her hand, attempting to pull Hermione to her feet as well. "Come on up to my room with me."

"Your r-room?" Hermione sputtered. No boy had ever invited her into his room before! What was George thinking?!

"Yeah, come on, it'll be fun," he promised, pulling her fully off the loveseat. His eyes were firmly fixed on the exposed skin between her blouse and her jeans before gravity pulled the fabric into place.

"To your room? Alone?" she asked, her voice turning to a whisper by the end of the questioning.

George started to laugh when he saw where her mind was going. "Fred and Lee are up there too, and we need a fourth person to play Exploding Snap with us," he explained carefully, hoping to ease her mind.

Hermione sighed in relief. "Oh, well I'm not really a big fan of that game. Are you sure they're going to want me to play? Maybe you should find Ginny." But George was already pulling her toward the staircase.

When they entered the seventh year boys' dormitory, Fred and Lee noticed that they were holding hands. Fred shot his twin a look of barely contained shock and congratulations, and George quickly released Hermione's hand.

"Hey, Hermione," Lee greeted their guest with a bright smile.

"Hermione, darling, to what do we owe the pleasure?" Fred asked, sweeping the girl into a hug and spinning her around. "I never thought the day would come when you would want to spend your time with a bunch of delightful, sexy, prank loving guys like us."

She giggled until Fred set her down and released her; George was just shaking his head at them. "Well, George told me you needed someone to play Exploding Snap, so here I am," she announced with a shrug.

"Good work, George, bringing a girl up here and all," Lee told him with a wink.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Where are we playing?"

"On George's bed. We already set the cards up and were just waiting for George to come back," Fred told her, gesturing to the spot on the bed where she should make herself comfortable. "Actually, it took you a little while before you brought her up here. Did you take a shortcut by way of the astronomy tower, George?"

"Stuff it, Fred," George hissed with a blush, noticing Hermione's cheeks had gone pink as well. Lee and Fred had to work very hard to hide their laughter while the three boys all sat down on the bed.

"We are playing in pairs with traditional rules, and we'll flip a coin to see who goes first," Lee explained, pulling a knut out of his pocket.

"Wait, who is my partner?" Hermione asked before he could toss the coin.

"I already claimed Lee," Fred announced proudly. "He's the reigning Gryffindor champion, and besides, something tells me George is going to be distracted from the game today." Fred was momentarily silenced by George's sharp elbow in his side.

"Call it, Hermione," Lee said as he flipped the knut.

"Tails," she called, and having won the toss, she and George were about to start the game.

"One more rule," Fred announced devilishly before they began. "The losing pair has to kiss each other. On the mouth."

Hermione gasped, Lee chuckled, George turned white, and Fred sat smugly looking from his twin to Hermione.

Suddenly George became transfixed by Hermione's lips. They looked so pink and plump and kissable as she chewed nervously on her lower lip. He wanted to reach across the bed and pull her against him and press his mouth against hers. Fred and Lee were right; there was definitely something going on. And he definitely wanted to throw the game of Exploding Snap in their favor.

Hermione briefly considered the possibility of kissing George, but she definitely didn't want an audience. But, his lips had been at the forefront of her mind ever since they had been hiding in the alcove together on Monday. Finally, not wanting to come across as the stick-in-the mud Prefect in front of the boys, she nodded. "You're on. Now let's start."

The boys all gaped at her for a moment before she pointed her wand at the first card and started the game.

As the game progressed, they learned that although Hermione wasn't particularly fond of Exploding Snap, she was rather good at it. She and George matched the pairs of cards rather effortlessly, and as the game intensified, they found themselves only a few points behind Fred and Lee.

"Bugger!" Fred exclaimed after choosing the incorrect card and causing them to lose a turn. George quickly matched the pairing correctly, putting his own team ahead in points.

Hermione quickly paired off the final six cards, leaving Fred and Lee staring across the bed at her, a look of reverence on their faces. "Wow, she just kicked our arses, Lee," Fred muttered.

George pulled her into a quick celebratory hug before she told the other team, "Pucker up, boys!"

Lee and Fred eyed each other unhappily before they leaned toward one another, grimaces on both of their faces. Once their lips had met in the briefest of smooches, they both jumped apart and dashed for the bathroom, wiping off their mouths and gagging the entire way.

George and Hermione fell onto the bed in a fit of laughter. "That was great!" she managed through her giggles.

"_You_ were great! I thought you didn't like Exploding Snap! You could have been beating Ron and Harry for years now," George told her as Fred came stomping out of the bathroom.

"I'll be back later. I'm going to find Angelina and snog her until I get the essence of Lee away from me," he announced with a scowl.

"And I'm going to go find absolutely any female at all and snog her until I forget what Fred's face looks like up close," Lee responded, running quickly in search of a female.

Sharing a look, George and Hermione started laughing once again.

"We make a pretty good team, Granger."

"Yeah, not too shabby, Weasley." Hermione realized just how close she was to George and that she was in his bed. "It's probably almost time for your broom ride."

"Probably," he confirmed as they both sat up. "I guess I know where to do next time I need an Exploding Snap partner."

"Ron is going to be so jealous of me," she joked as the reentered the common room. "Have a good flight."

George grinned and brushed nervously at his messy hair. "Are you sure you don't want to join me? I won't do anything too crazy."

"Not tonight. You already stole me away from my Charms homework for long enough!"

"Fine, fine. But one of these nights, you're all mine, Granger." With a wink, George was gone, and Hermione was blushing furiously.

* * *

_I hope you liked this chapter! Sorry for the delay... I've been fighting with my laptop. As always, I would love to hear any ideas that you would like to see in the upcoming chapters. _

_ Please leave a review!_ :)


	5. Chapter 5

_Seven Sleepless Nights by WeasleyForMe_

_With swirling thoughts and a hectic schedule, Hermione finds herself unable to sleep. When George shares his secret with her and keeps her company, she finds another, sweeter reason to stay up late._

_Thanks to Clover Bay for beta reading and offering wonderful ideas and support!_

_

* * *

__Thursday Night_

George had taken his own words from the previous night to heart. He would have Hermione all to himself to take her flying, and he hoped it would be soon. But in the meantime, he and Fred had plenty of work to do testing out Puking Pastilles.

"Follow us if you want to earn two Galleons!" Fred called to a group of younger students leaving the library.

"Quiet down a little, Fred," George warned, trying to hush his twin a bit. He didn't fancy another bout of detention with Umbridge.

With a concerned look, Fred pulled George aside. "Look, do you want to test these out or not?"

George bit his lower lip. "Of course I do."

"Oh no, don't tell me Granger has fully gone to your head, my darling twin! Did she lecture you about our products?" asked with a wink. "Or did she promise to _reward_ you if you behave?"

George huffed and crossed his arms. "Look, I'm glad you think it's really funny that I like Hermione, but she didn't put me up to anything. I just don't want you to end up in a detention with Umbridge, that's all."

Fred clapped him on the shoulder. "That's sweet of you, but I've had my fair share of detentions, and I reckon I'll end up with quite a few more before it's all said and done."

"I know, Fred, but this is different." George thought back to the pain that shot through his body as the flesh on his hand was torn open.

Fred cocked his head; he could tell that his twin was being quite serious. "I believe you. We will be more careful."

George just nodded, thankful that Fred would always understand him. They carefully pulled a test subject into an empty classroom and recorded the length of vomiting time induced by the Puking Pastilles before paying up the promised Galleons. They made it back to Gryffindor tower before Umbridge caught wind of them.

* * *

"Ronald, I don't have all the time in the world to help you write a History of Magic essay," Hermione growled through her teeth. She had been peacefully working at the long table in the common room when Ron asked her for her help. It wouldn't have bothered her if he hadn't already asked for her help several times during the week.

"Why not, Hermione?" he whinged back.

"Because, Ronald, if you spent half as much time on your homework as you do on your _extracurricular_ activities, you'd have straight O's in ever subject! Now, work on it yourself!"

"Fine, but at least I have _extracurricular_ activities to speak of! You're so boring, and you never spend time doing anything fun."

Hermione bit her lips to hold her tears in place. She didn't fancy earning the attention of everyone in the common room, so she lowered her voice to a hiss. "Just go snog your leech of a girlfriend and fail all of your classes. See if I care." And with that, she turned back to her Transfiguration text and Ron stormed off to find Lavender.

Hermione tugged her sweater vest over her head and loosed her red and gold tie. "Who does he think he is?" she muttered as she undid the top few buttons of her white uniform blouse.

"Whoa there, Hermione! Leave a little something to the imagination, will ya?"

Hermione quickly looked up from her book to see George wink at her as he took the seat across the table from her. She blushed a little as she tried to explain herself, and she found that her irritation with Ron quickly dissipated. "W-What? Well, I was just unbuttoning the top, I mean I wasn't taking my shirt off or anything like that!"

"By all means, don't let me stop you if you decide you want to!" George told her, sitting back expectantly, clearly waiting to see if in fact she would decide she wanted to take her shirt off.

"You're ridiculous," Hermione laughed, shaking her head.

"That may be the case, but I can't have you distracting me from my homework all night. So if it's all the same to you, maybe you should keep your blouse on until I'm done," George whispered, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Homework? You're doing homework?" Hermione asked. "Please, don't tell me you came for my help." Suddenly her mind retreated back to Ron's requests.

"No, I don't need help. I just happened to realize that I haven't opened any school books in at least a week, and I have three overdue essays."

"So, you're just here to do some schoolwork?" Hermione asked hopefully. It wasn't every day that someone wanted to simply work alongside her.

"Yep, unless you'd rather be left alone, in which case I can totally understand that."

Hermione shook her head and he made to gather his things and leave. "No, stay! I would really like the company."

They fell into a companionable silence for several minutes. The other Gryffindors started to return to the common room and head to their dorms before either spoke.

"Fred's still sore, by the way," George commented offhandedly as he finished a four day overdue Potions essay and pulled out his Charms book.

"Sore about what?" Hermione asked, thoroughly puzzled.

"Having to kiss Lee," George replied with a smirk. "He claims his lips haven't felt right since then."

Hermione giggled and set down her quill. "Well if they weren't so bloody cocky about their supposed Exploding Snap skills, I wouldn't have needed to prove them wrong!"

"Feisty! I like it!" George smiled brightly at the witch across from him, and he decided to say exactly what had been on his mind. "But the alternative wouldn't have been bad either."

"Alternative?"

"Well, if we had lost to them, I would have had to kiss you, and I can't imagine that being a bad thing at all."

Hermione felt her heart race and her face heat up immediately at his words. She didn't quite know what to say to George, because it sounded like he was able to read her mind. "Let's just say that I had been fully prepared to lose," she managed to mutter, barely making eye contact with him.

George let his foot gently connect with hers under the table, and he leaned forward, his ginger hair falling slightly into his eyes. "Come flying with me tonight."

"I-" Hermione started, but was cut off by the sound of Ron and Lavender returning to the common room.

Lavender giggled and pressed herself against Ron as he sloppily kissed her. He quickly made eye contact with Hermione before leading Lavender into his dorm room.

"That was disgusting," George commented once they were gone.

"Ron is a prat," Hermione whispered to herself as she crossed her arms, brow wrinkling in agitation.

"Ah, you still have feelings for him?" George asked gently, trying to mask the disappointment in his voice.

"Of course not," she responded. "I just can't stand the sight of him right now."

George tried to figure out what that meant. If she wasn't interested in Ron, then was there a possibility she was interested in him?

"It's just that, he's different now that he's with _her_," Hermione added, nodding her head in the direction in which Ron and Lavender had disappeared. "He called me boring."

George was taken aback. "Well Ronniekins obviously has absolutely no taste in girls at all." He wanted to add that Ron had had a great girl in Hermione right in front of him for years and had neglected to do anything about it.

Hermione snorted. "I will agree with that."

"And you're far from boring," he added. "I mean, just a few hours ago, you tried to take your shirt off right in front of me, and I had to severely scold you and force you to keep it on! You're positively exhilarating!"

Hermione erupted into laughter. "I told you, I was merely loosening my tie!"

"Riiight. Anyway, you should get a coat so I can take you out on the broom."

Hermione chewed in her bottom lip for a moment, unsure whether or not she should go with him. As the clock chimed midnight, a loud clap of thunder sounded outside the castle, and a moment later, lightning illuminated the dim common room.

"Damn," George muttered. "I was so close."

Hermione smiled. "Not tonight, George, but one night, I will."

"I'll hold you to that," he promised as he packed up his books and parchment. "Now, if you'll excuse me, there is mischief to be made, and I'm just the one to make it."

"Have fun with that. Just keep it far away from me," she told him with a brilliant smile.

George had absolutely no intention of keeping himself far away from her. "Goodnight, Hermione," he whispered next to her ear before heading to his room.

His hot breath hit the shell of her ear, and Hermione felt a shiver run up her spine. She tried in vain to focus on her schoolwork before giving in and going to her own room where she could barely sleep. Her mind was wandering to George.

* * *

_Thanks for reading and please review! As always, please let me know if you have suggestions!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Seven Sleepless Nights by WeasleyForMe_

_With swirling thoughts and a hectic schedule, Hermione finds herself unable to sleep. When George shares his secret with her and keeps her company, she finds another, sweeter reason to stay up late._

_Thanks to Clover Bay for beta reading and offering fantastic ideas!!_

_

* * *

_George had been so close to avoiding another detention, but before dinnertime on Friday, he found himself writing lines once again. This time it was worth it, and luckily it wasn't with Umbridge.

He tried to conceal his grin from Professor McGonagall while he wrote, but the circumstances of the detention made him too happy. He looked up to find his teacher shaking her head at him, lips in a tight line. "Mr. Weasley, if you are unable to write lines today, you can come back every day next week." Her voice sounded stern.

"I can write them today, professor," George replied, fixing an unhappy look on his face while he thought about the past few hours that landed him in McGonagall's office.

He had been following Ron, trying to get information. Hermione had made it pretty evident that she wasn't secretly holding out for Ron, but George wanted confirmation on both ends.

"Are you dating LavLav to make Hermione jealous?" George had asked, following Ron as he hurried out of the Gryffindor common room.

Ron had made a face. "Are you barmy? Of course I'm not trying to make Hermione jealous. Lavender loves me and I love her back."

"But isn't there some small part of you that loves Hermione?" George had pressed, rushing after his younger brother.

"No! She infuriates me, if you haven't noticed." Ron had hurried into a classroom, trying to lose George before the start of his final class for the week. "Now get out of here, you're not even in this class, George."

"So you honestly wouldn't be upset if another bloke made a move for Hermione?" George needed to know the answer, but before Ron responded, Professor McGonagall had entered the room.

"Mr. Weasley, you do not belong in fifth year Transfiguration. Please remove yourself," she had asked, pointing toward the door.

"Just a moment, ma'am," he replied.

"Out, Mr. Weasley!"

He briefly turned his attention to their teacher. "But I just wanted to see your smiling face one more time today, Professor," George told her with a toothy grin.

McGonagall wasn't smiling in the slightest.

"No, I wouldn't care about another bloke!" Ron had hissed, willing his brother to just leave.

"Well you can enjoy my smiling face in detention," McGonagall nearly shouted over the boys, her face still completely void of anything resembling a smile. "My office! Before dinner! Now, OUT!"

With a smile, George exited the room, earning strange looks from his peers and a glare from his professor. He was just thankful that Hermione was in the advanced section, and hadn't seen the incident.

So, it was for this reason that he couldn't be upset about having detention in place of dinner. He just wanted to get out as soon as he was done so he could find Hermione and take her flying. Tonight was the night, he hoped.

Well after dinner had ended, George had been dismissed from his detention, but not before receiving a strong warning about his behaviour. Just as he was leaving, Hermione entered Professor McGonagall's office.

"Good evening, Professor," Hermione said. "And George," she added with a smile.

George grinned brightly and winked at her as he exited. He waited patiently in the corridor for a few minutes until Hermione left the office as well.

"Well, it's not every day that a Prefect gets called into a teacher's office," George commented.

"Well, it _is_ every day that _you_ have a detention," she replied with a smile. "What did you get in trouble for this time?"

George leaned against the wall. "Disobeying a direct order."

Hermione snorted and started to walk away with a smile. "I should have known." Since when did she find his bad behaviour endearing?

"Where are you going?" George asked, following her.

Hermione sighed. "Professor McGonagall just informed me that I need to fill in for Draco Malfoy tonight, because he's ill. I have to go finish my homework so I can cover his rounds later."

"Ah, Prefect duty. Hey wait, it's Friday! I'm not going to let you do homework on a Friday," George scoffed. "Follow me."

He took her hand, and Hermione felt lighter than air. She was certain that her cheeks had become flushed, but she couldn't help it.

Once they reached a brightly coloured still-life painting of fruit, George stopped.

"What are we doing?" she asked.

"We are going to find something for me to eat so I have enough energy to walk with you while you do your fancy Prefect duty later," he informed her, making her giggle. "Now, tickle the pear."

"The pear?" she asked, very confused as she looked at the green fruit in the painting.

"Yes. Tickle it."

"No!"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you must."

"How?"

George winked and reached for her. "You shouldn't have asked that," he sang as his fingers connected with her sides. Hermione gasped as he started to tickle her.

"George! Stop!" she shrieked.

"I'm just showing you how to tickle the pear," he said next to her ear as she tried to push him away. Her words became unintelligible as his strong arms held her body against his, and he tickled her mercilessly.

"Ok! You win! I'll tickle the bloody pear!" she squealed.

Once his fingers stopped moving against her, she realized that his hands had inched up under the hem of her school blouse. At the same moment this dawned on her, she saw just how close his face was to hers. If she were to stand on her toes, her lips would have met his. She froze there for a moment, unsure of what to do.

George grinned down at her, aware of her obvious discomfort. "I thought you said you'd tickle the bloody pear, unless of course you've thought of something else you would rather try."

Embarrassed, she let herself slip out of his arms and reached out to tickle the pear. Suddenly the frame swung open to reveal the Hogwarts kitchen and a small group of House Elves.

They all waved as George greeted them and led Hermione to a counter where a platter of sandwiches were set out. "They usually leave some food out in case Fred or I have a detention and have to miss dinner," he explained. "It happens more than you might think." He winked and bit into a turkey sandwich.

Hermione giggled. "It happens more than it should. Even I feel like the teachers have gone detention-happy this year!"

George passed her a small sandwich and waited for her to take a bite. "I forgot! You have had multiple detentions this year! I thought you were supposed to be a role model, Hermione."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione said, "As if it's my fault that I had to take the fall for everyone after that DA meeting! I still don't think Filch believed that I made all that noise by myself! And I had to scrub scum from the sinks in the girls' loo while Mrs. Norris watched."

She crinkled her nose, and George laughed. "You're funny, Hermione."

Hermione examined his face; he was smiling honestly at her. "Nobody would describe me as being funny."

"You're cute, too," he added, completely ignoring her comment.

Hermione swallowed the last bit of her sandwich, trying not to choke. This time, she just couldn't meet his eyes, fearful that he was just joking. "Those are definitely two words that would be used to describe you," she muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing! It's time for my Prefect rounds," she blurted quickly.

"Great! Let's go." He held out his hand for her.

"You really don't have to come with me. It'll be boring."

George grinned and wrapped his hand around hers. "If you don't let me come with you, I can't guarantee that I will be able to stay out of detention."

Hermione pretended to consider his offer. "Well I guess I can't refuse. I mean, it's obviously a cry for help. I can tell how much you want to be well behaved." This time it was Hermione who winked as they left the kitchen.

She paused to pull a golden "P" pin out of her pocket and attach it to her blouse. Once it was firmly in place, she pointed a stern finger up at George. "Make fun of it and you'll have detention for a week, Mr. Weasley."

"Can I have detention with you?" George asked, waggling his eyebrows and biting his lip. "I'm sure I can think of a few ways to spend that sort of time."

Hermione was slightly shocked by his audacity, but managed to play along. "Nope, making fun of my pin will earn you detentions with Professor Snape," she kidded.

"Never mind, then. You're pin is very fashionable and I simply love it," he told her as they started walking through the darkened halls of Hogwarts castle, looking for students who were up to no good.

They fell into a companionable silence, following Hermione's usual trek around the castle. After they had covered all the usual locales, George sighed. "Gee, Hermione, you don't know where everyone goes to get into trouble, do you?"

"What do you mean?" She was slightly taken aback.

George laughed deep in his chest; Hermione really was a sweet, law abiding bookworm at heart. "Try down this way. Fred and I get into some of our best trouble down here."

He led them down a corridor that only seemed vaguely familiar to her. "Where are we?"

"Below the Room of Requirement," he whispered as they walked silently. Soon they heard a few voices, and Hermione drew her wand instinctively.

As they slipped quietly into a dimly lit room, Hermione was all business. "Drop that parchment," Hermione demanded as they managed to sneak up on three Slytherin boys selling homework answers to a Hufflepuff.

The four boys looked utterly terrified as Hermione's eyes flashed at them.

"Selling homework? Isn't it easier to just do it on your own?" she hissed, completely exasperated. "I'm taking fifty house points from each of you, and you can report to the head of your house on Monday night to serve detention. Now back to your dormitories!"

As the boys scurried away, George turned to gape at her. "Wow, Hermione, that was kind of hot."

"Hot?" she asked, one eyebrow arched.

George leaned a little closer, and Hermione felt butterflies in her stomach. "Yeah, you know, persistent girls are kinda sexy," he whispered next to her ear.

His hot breath was too much, and Hermione took an unsteady step backwards. Her foot came into contact with a pedestal, and she started to fall, but George was too quick. She was hanging in his strong arms, looking at where her foot ended up.

"Oh, I know where we are," she whispered, held firmly by George. "This is where the Goblet of Fire was stored last year," she continued to whisper, afraid of breaking the magic of the moment.

George chuckled and pulled her gently upwards until she was flat on her feet once again, but he didn't let go. "Yes we are. And of all people, I should have remembered. I grew a pretty wicked beard in this room."

Hermione started to laugh, tossing her head back in mirth. The thought of the 'elderly' Weasley twins was just too silly. "Oh yeah! You and Fred looked incredibly ridiculous! Remind me to never take that aging potion!"

George let her laugh at his expense; she was too pretty when she was happy. "We tried lots of things in this room, and none of them seemed to work," he confided, hands still wrapped around her waist.

"What else did you try?" she whispered once she was finished laughing. As she realized that he hadn't released her, she let one of her hands rest gently on his chest.

"Too many idiotic things to name." He let his fingers creep up Hermione's back until they came in contact with a few strands of her long, curly hair. He licked his lips. It was a long-shot, but he was going to go for it. "But there's one thing I never tried in here. Once thing that I really really want to try right now," he whispered to the witch in his arms.

"What's that?" she asked softly, meeting his eyes with her warm toffee coloured ones.

Hermione's eyes fluttered closed as George leaned toward her and let his lips touch hers in the briefest of kisses. When he started to pull back, he instantly felt her kiss him again, more firmly, and he was lost.

Both of Hermione's hands slid up his chest until her arms were wrapped around his neck, and George's hands played with her silky hair. His nose brushed against hers each time he moved, nibbling gently on her pouty lips. She deepened the kiss, pressing herself up onto her toes, pushing her body against his.

All he could think about was the fact that this bookworm was one hell of a good kisser.

A soft moan escaped Hermione's lips as George finally pulled away; she was not a fan of his lips being so far away.

"That's what I wanted to try," he told her, a lopsided grin all over his face.

"More," Hermione whispered.

"You know I can't say no to a demanding girl…"

Hermione tilted her face up to his and accepted another kiss. This one was deeper, more passionate than anything she had previously experienced. Inadvertently, Hermione stumbled backward on the ledge again, and cursed her luck as George caught her once more.

But this time, Hermione knocked over a wooden podium as she tried to steady herself, making a rather loud noise that echoed through the room. "Let's get out of here before we get in trouble," she hissed, grabbing George's hand.

"But you're a Prefect! Who's going to yell at us?" he asked, laughing at her actions as they dashed out of the room.

Hermione froze. "Good point."

"Regardless, let's head back to the common room. I have a few more things I'd like to show you," he whispered.

A slow blush stained her cheeks as she nodded in agreement.

It took them nearly a half hour to make it back, because George pulled them into alcove after dusty alcove to share more kisses. He decided to forgo flying that night in favor of Hermione's lips.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! And thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story :)_

_The next chapter will be the final one! I'm open to your ideas, so please review and let me know what you think!!  
_


	7. Chapter 7

_Seven Sleepless Nights by WeasleyForMe_

_With swirling thoughts and a hectic schedule, Hermione finds herself unable to sleep. When George shares his secret with her and keeps her company, she finds another, sweeter reason to stay up late._

_Thanks to Clover Bay for beta reading and offering fantastic ideas!!_

_

* * *

_

_Saturday Night  
_

If Hermione was being honest with herself, she would admit that she was a little bit disappointed that she hadn't seen George since they snogged until one o'clock in the morning. She had spent most of the day trying to keep herself busy in the common room, or at the very least appear that she was busy. But no George.

He hadn't showed up for any meals, and although it was the weekend, he and Fred surely needed to eat something. After picking at her dinner, she went back to the common room, swiftly avoiding Ron and Lavender holding hands and cooing to one another outside the Fat Lady.

"Disgusting," Hermione muttered as she made her way inside. Ron didn't spare a glance in her direction.

"Hey Ginny, have you seen George?" Hermione asked, taking the spot on the crimson couch next to the redhead.

Ginny grinned at her friend. "Obviously he and Fred are up to no good. I just saw them, and I know they are planning something. But why are you asking about George?"

"Umm…" Hermione mumbled. "You know, he's just usually around, and hey, look at the time! Off to the library!" And she was immediately back on her feet and leaving Ginny alone in the common room, looking rather puzzled.

With no real destination in mind, Hermione decided the library could use another visit, and she headed in that direction, wondering where George had been when Ginny ran into the twins. Sadly, as she traipsed down a long hallway, she didn't see a single redhead. What a disappointing day this had turned out to be, especially since it started with George's lips on hers.

"Good evening, Madam Pince," she whispered to the matron of the Hogwarts library, earning a bright smile and a nod from the older woman.

Hermione grabbed some light reading, _Advanced Applications for Arithmantic Appraisals,_ from a nearby shelf and sunk into an overstuffed armchair. The combination of the fascinating subject matter and the plush seat weren't enough to help her relax. She could think of little more than George, and she was starting to get scared. Perhaps their kisses had meant a great deal more to her than they did to him.

Then another thought occurred to her. Maybe George had done the very same thing with every other girl; she probably wasn't the only one he had taken off to a remote part of the castle and snogged. But, she had no proof, and she didn't want to think about him that way.

"You know how I feel about doing homework on the weekend."

Hermione nearly threw her book into the air as George managed to creep up behind her and whisper in her ear.

"George!" she hissed in a harsh whisper. "You shouldn't sneak up like that!"

He chuckled and sat down on the arm of the chair. "No harm done. At least I got your attention away from that dastardly text." He pulled the tome from her hands and let it drop to the floor.

"Hey, I was reading th-"

Hermione's complaint was silenced by George as his mouth met her parted lips with a gentle force that made her insides feel like warm butter. He turned slightly on the arm of the chair until he had Hermione trapped between his arms, at his mercy.

"No more homework on the weekend," he whispered, releasing her from his kiss. "Now, you'll be flying with me tonight, even if Scotland gets an unexpected late spring blizzard."

"But, George, I don't really like to fly." She realized it was pretty late in the game to be telling him this, but it was the honest truth. Flying was uncomfortable and basically terrifying.

"No excuses. I waited all week, and you promised," he told her with a pout.

She sighed and crossed her arms, but she knew there was no way she would be able to tell him no. "Fine," she agreed.

"Meet me in the common room later, and wear something comfortable." With a wink and a peck on her cheek, he was gone.

And Hermione had the feeling that she was going to get caught up in some mischief.

* * *

"Everything is set up, and you are good to go!" Fred encouraged his twin, slapping him on the shoulder for luck.

George took a deep breath and picked up Ginny's broom. "What if she thinks it's stupid?"

"She won't, Georgie. It's going to be perfect. And if it's not, we'll blame Ron," Fred sincerely promised, pushing George toward the door. As soon as he made it down the stairs, he saw her, and his heart jumped.

"You're late!" Hermione shouted triumphantly.

"What do you mean I'm late?" George asked quickly.

"It's after midnight, so technically now it's no longer Saturday, and you said you were going to make me fly with you on Saturday night, not Sunday," she stated, matter-of-factly.

"Nice try, Granger. Now, let's go," George smiled, taking her hand and practically dragging her toward the portrait hole.

"W-Wouldn't you rather play a game of chess? Or maybe knit some scarves for the House Elves?" she asked, hoping to deter him from his mission to get her to fly.

But once they were in the corridor, George merely put his finger to his lips, asking for her to remain quiet. She trudged along, trying so appear annoyed while her hand was encompassed by his; that was nearly impossible.

"Here we are. Hop on," he whispered once they had reached the empty Charms classroom.

"Aren't we supposed to be outside?" she asked nervously.

"Nope, this is the spot," he replied, guiding her so that she was seated on the broomstick in front of him. "Ready? Good!"

George never gave her a chance to answer before he called out a spell to open the window on the far wall and lifted them off the floor.

"Wait! Wait, George!" Hermione yelled, fighting the urge to cover her eyes with her hands. It would be far worse to let go of the broom and face that particular set of consequences.

"Hold on tight," George whispered with a chuckle, and suddenly there were shooting rather quickly toward the open window. Hermione clamped her eyes shut and ducked her head in between George's arms which were holding the broomstick in front of her.

"I'm going to hex you as soon as we land!" Hermione screamed once they were safely outside and flying over the grounds of the school.

"But then you won't get your surprise," George sang behind her.

"Surprise?" Hermione asked, turning her head slightly to the right until she could see his face.

"Oh yes, but you won't get it until you loosen up and enjoy the flight," he teased, pushing her bushy hair behind her ear and kissing her neck lightly.

Hermione felt her stomach dip, and she wasn't sure if it was from George's kiss or the tight circles they were flying. She tried to relax against his body, but she was antsy the entire time they were in the air. _"Don't look down. Relax. Don't look down. Relax. Ooh, George's arms look very strong."_ She couldn't stop fidgeting.

"Ready to land?" George finally asked.

"Yes!" she replied immediately. He laughed as he gently guided them toward the edge of the lake. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he felt Hermione starting to topple over.

"Oof!" She was on the ground at George's feet before either of them could stop her. Blushing profusely, she was really ecstatic that it was nearly black outside, save for the light from the half-moon.

"That's exactly where I was going to have us sit! Great work, thinking ahead," George commented with a grin as he stowed the broom behind a shrub and pulled out a small paper bag. Then he sat next to Hermione near the edge of the lake.

"What's in the bag?"

George pulled the bag away from her as she reached for it. "You are way too curious, Hermione Granger. This," he gestured to the bag, "is your surprise."

"Thanks George, but I don't believe I need a brown, paper bag."

George laughed heartily as he finally handed it to her. "Open it."

She unfolded the top and reached in. "Mint humbugs?" she asked, holding up one of the small chocolate candies.

"Aren't they your favorite?! I thought you liked them!" George was beginning to get very nervous.

"They are, but how did you know?" she confirmed, gently placing one between her lips before eating it. She closed her eyes and smiled as the flavors of mint and chocolate invaded her taste buds.

"You always seem to enjoy them the most at dinner," George commented, enjoying the way her eyes fluttered closed as she savoured the sweets.

She held out the bag for him to take one of the candies. "It's been nice to have your company in the common room recently," she remarked as he slipped the humbug between his lips.

George chewed thoughtfully before responding. "I agree. It's been pretty good having your company in my bed, too."

"What?!"

George laughed so hard he nearly choked. "I'm talking about Exploding Snap the other night!"

"Oh. Of course." Hermione blushed. "Well in that case, I had a great time in your bed," she managed with a small laugh of her own.

Nervously, George scooted a little closer to her. The only sounds were the rustling of his movement on the grass and the Giant Squid swimming laps around the lake.

George cleared his throat and looked up at the moon. "So… what if we spent more time together outside of the common room, and the Dumbledore's Army meetings, and you giving me detentions when I play pranks?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked quietly, turning to look at his face.

Heart pounding, palms sweating, George cleared his throat again. "Well, maybe you and I could hang out more and do stuff?" he asked, turning to face her.

"Like what?"

"Well, anything that we can do so that we can spend time together," he mumbled.

"Such as?" she asked, trying to see what he was getting at.

"Hermione! Give me a break here! I'm more nervous than a long-tailed kneazle in a room full of rocking chairs!"

"I'm just trying to figure out what you want, George!" she exclaimed, completely exasperated.

"I like you, and I like kissing you, and I want you to be my girlfriend!" he blurted out loudly.

"Oh!"

George sat frozen on the spot chewing his lip. "Well that didn't come out exactly as I wanted it to."

"Yes," she replied, nodding her head.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I'll be your girlfriend! Now stop acting so silly," she whispered.

George pushed the bag of sweets out of the way and leaned toward his girlfriend until they were sharing a minty kiss. Hermione pulled him closer, enjoying his warm body against hers as she gently ran her fingers through his hair. He kissed her passionately, making her feel like the most important thing in his world, and Hermione didn't mind that feeling one bit.

As he released her lips, he still held her close, his nose resting against hers. "Mmm, Hermione, I don't think you're allowed to give me detentions any longer," he whispered. "It would be a conflict of interest."

She leaned in and kissed him deeply before pulling away. "I won't stop assigning until you start behaving. So, you'd better get used to it."

George chuckled and stood, pulling her to her feet as well. "Let's get you back to the common room. It doesn't look good when the Prefect is out breaking the rules."

"Oh no, there's no way I'm getting back on that broom and flying back in throughthe Charms window!" she told him, pointing to Ginny's Nimbus and shaking her head fiercely.

"Ok, ok, Pretty Prefect. We'll go in through the main entrance and get caught," George promised with a wink.

"Well, maybe that's not such a good idea either," Hermione conceded.

George grinned. "I knew you'd see it my way."

After a terrifying flight back into the Charms classroom, followed by some snogging in the Charms classroom, Hermione and George made their way back to the Gryffindor common room. After so many sleepless nights, Hermione found herself on the squishy crimson couch, slipping into a comfortable sleep, curled up next to George.

* * *

_The end! I hope you enjoyed this story, because I loved writing it! Now, REVIEW! Please :)_


End file.
